THE AGRICULTURE DIVISION oN THe ROAD TO 2030 HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP 2024-2025? C. C. First and foremost, the summer 2024 harvest was very disappointing, marked by wide disparities and a 20 % decline in yields on average, combined with a sharp drop in quality, further exa- cerbated by unfavorable weather conditions during the harvest. All of this took place in a challen- ging context in which geopolitics continued to outweigh economic considerations, disrupting the ma- jor global balances of grain mar- kets. The second key take away from last year was the nine-month stakeholder consultation process we conducted, which resulted in our Ma Coop 2030 strategic plan. And, of course, there was the sca- ling-up of TRANSITIONS, which mobilized significant resources both upstream (training, skills de- velopment for teams, and sup- port for farmers) and downstream (customer engagement and negotiations with grain trading teams). This program really drives transformation for the Cooperative and increases our external visibility. What are your main sources of satisfaction? C. C. We succeeded in navigating a very difficult year for the grain sector. Technical sales representatives, agrono- mists, silo managers, market experts — every Cooperative team worked to help Cooperative farmers make the best possible technical, supply, and grain marketing decisions. Thanks to our operational excellence in grain handling, our control of logistics flows, and our ability to negotiate with customers, we were able to optimize the value of Cooperative members’ crops and thus mitigate the impact of lower volumes. The Cooperative also implemented exceptional support measures (cash-flow facilities, securing inputs, support for young farmers, etc.), while still delivering close to the expec- ted financial targets. At the same time, we did not put our ongoing projects on hold: we continued to innovate, to build partnerships, and to train our teams — clear proof of the Cooperative’s agility and resilience. What is the outlook for the months ahead? C. C. The initial rollout of the Ma Coop 2030 strategic plan and the launch of the first workstreams focused on operational excellence: driving productivity and competitiveness in order, ultimately, to reduce our intermediation costs. This will require us to review our processes and organizations to gain efficiency and agility and to deliver an improved customer experience. The deployment of artificial intelligence will profoundly transform our businesses by automating repetitive tasks and freeing up time for higher value-added activities. Mastering AI will be the key to improving our performance, while ensuring that it remains a tool that serves people and VIVESCIA’s values. A LOOK BaCK At THe yEAR WITH... CéDRIC COGNIEz Managing Director of agricultural businesses 24